3D Printed Rib Cage
3D printing technology has had a big
impact in the medical industry. 25-year-old, Pan Yong, was aided by using a 3D
printed ribcage model to plan the surgery. Yong was working at a construction
site in Yueyang when he was hit in the chest by a massive five-meter long steel
column weighing at least one hundred kilos. Seven of his ribs where completely shattered.
For surgeons, fixing one rib is much easier for surgeons compared to multiple
ribs. In addition, because Yong has some extra weight, doctors had to locate
the precise position of rib fractures which would have been extremely difficult
without 3D printing.
Cardiothoracic surgeon Zhang Gong,
Director Yang Jinsong and Professor Liu Yiqi were able to make a 3D model of
the patient’s thorax bone, rib fractures and scapula by using the results of a
chest CT scan. The model was an accurate model which meant the surgeons could
plan a successful surgery. The model was also used to share information to the
patient and his family so that they knew what they were going to do in the
surgery.
The surgery took place on November 9.
Yong’s right lung was also repaired during the surgery. The operation was
faster thanks to the surgical model and was done in just two hours instead of
three. The operation was less invasive to the patient’s body, reduced
anesthesia time and blood loss. The likelihood of lung infection was also
lessened. Pan Yong was allowed to leave the hospital several days later. 3D
printing technology is not just improving patients’ surgeries but is becoming
more useful in the entire medical industry.
Source
http://www.3ders.org/articles/20151116-custom-3d-printed-rib-cage-made-for-surgery-25-year-old-seven-destroyed-ribs.html
LM3D Swim
Local Motors announced their
first 3D printed car in 2014. At the
International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago, they 3D printed
their car live on the floor. Furthermore, Local Motors used crowdsourcing to
implement the idea of 3D printing. They have decided to 3D print a new series
of vehicles, the LM3D Swim. The Local Motors product development team had were
busy with tasks including obtaining software from Siemens. The automakers
direct digital manufacturing (DDM) process was used to fabricate the concept. The
company, SABIC, then provided the materials so that the car could be 3D printed
on the Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) machine.
The cars will include
intelligence as a result of the Siemens software for design and the BAAM system
for production. This intelligence is because of Local Motors’ efficient
collaboration with IBM to enhance the customer’s driving experience. In
addition, Local motors say that the LM3D series will be safer and more
efficient in traffic thanks to the vehicle’s features which prioritize the
car’s environment and also monitor the car. The pre-orders will be priced at $53,000,
however, Local Motors will have to ensure that all cars meet road and crash
testing before manufacturing begins.
Source
ZMorph Hybrid 3D Printer
The Polish design
company, YLE Engineers, had to build a functional bridge over Martwa Wisla, a
river located in Gdańsk, Poland. The environment was not suitable for building
a bridge. That meant that the bridge had to be brought over with parts already
placed together. ZMorph and their hybrid 3D printer were able to build the
bridge. The dimensions were 125 meter long, 21 meters high, and 2,000 tons in
weight. The 3D printer was placed on monumental pressure to succeed. Indeed, the
ZMorph 3D printer was able to create a complex prototype model of the bridge.
At the same time, it calculated and simulated real conditions of the
environment so there were no errors in the design.
The 3D printed prototype
of the bridge also helped the YLE team to figure out the best mode of
transportation for the 2,000 ton bridge. YLE Engineers was founded by Piotr
Żółtowski 8 years ago. Żółtowski is proud that they were able to use 3D
printing technology on this project. “3D printing is very visual. So, when you
go to the client with a 3D printed model it is like a picture in 1000 words,
it’s a much stronger communicator then drawings,” Żółtowski said in an
interview on ZMorph Stories. Although this is a big application of 3D printing,
3D printing bridges will take time to become conventional.
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